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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Shell Pasta with Shellfish and Tomatoes

4-6 Servings

40 minutes

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Known as ditaloni alla marinari al cucchiaio at chef Corrado Biló’s restaurant Trattoria la Moretta in the Italian coastal city of Ancona, the dish translates quite simply as “seafood ditaloni with a spoon.” Biló told us his inspiration was a pasta dish loaded with seafood, yet easily eaten with a spoon. Ditaloni, a smallish ridged tube pasta, is not easy to find in the U.S., so for our adaptation, we chose medium shells—a seemingly appropriate shape for a seafood dish—or mezzi rigatoni. For a variety of flavor and texture, we use a trio of shellfish: calamari (shrimp is a fine alternative), scallops and mussels (or clams). It’s worth seeking out dry sea scallops—that is, ones that have not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), a preservative that causes them to retain water. Dry scallops have a pinkish hue and a clean, sweet flavor.

4-6

Servings

Tip

Don’t forget to cover the Dutch oven after adding the mussels. The lid traps heat in the pot for faster and more even cooking.

40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 14½

    ounce can whole peeled or diced tomatoes

  • 8

    ounces medium shell pasta or mezzi rigatoni

Directions

Reviews
Mark V.
July 20, 2025
Outstanding
Made this as written with squid and mussels as a hearty dinner for two. It was easy and spectacularly good. And mussels and squid are pretty cheap relative to a lot of protein choices, so the recipe is restaurant-quality without much expense.

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